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Foam and balsa Malibu surfboard

Datec 1963

Object number00015141

NameSurfboard

MediumBalsa wood, paint

DimensionsOverall: 260 x 3488 mm, 17.7 kg
Display Dimensions: 3500 x 600 x 260 mm

ClassificationsToys, games and souvenirs

Credit LineANMM Collection Purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds

Terms

Haleiwa

DescriptionThis 11.5 foot Malibu surfboard is made from polyurethane foam, has a balsa wood stringer down centre and a fiberglass coating. The development of foam boards came about in the 1950s, at which time boards were commonly shaped between 9 and 11 feet long. Pale lime green in colour, this surfboard has a black painted single fin at the centre of the tail and rounded rails. The text 'Surfboards Hawaii Haleiwa Hawaii' has been painted with black ink on the top face of the board.HistoryThough Australia was first introduced to surfing in the late 19th century by traders and travellers who had passed through Hawaii, the surfing demonstration of Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku at Freshwater Beach in 1914 was a significant moment in Australia's surfing history. Solid hardwood planks were common on Australian beaches between World War I and World War II, and pre-dated the Australian surfing boom of the late 1950s an early 1960s. Designs were often similar to the Duke's 1914 board, which was shaped from sugar pine purchased from Hudson's Timber Mill in Sydney, and incorporated many of the standard Hawaiian design characteristics. The end of World War II opened up new possibilities in surfboard design. Many new materials had become available through advances in technology during the war. As a result, fiberglass coated Malibus were developed in the late 1950s. These allowed surfers a greater range of maneuvers than early wooden boards. The 1950s also saw experimentation in surfboard design, with additions such as a fin aiding maneuverability and stability. The Malibu shape was introduced to Australia in 1956 when a group of Californian lifeguards brought with them new Malibu boards made by Joe Quigg and the Velzy-Jacobs duo. Australians began experimenting with balsa, foam and fiberglass designs, and eventually the Malibu went into mass-production.SignificanceThis Hawaiian board is representative of the technological developments that took place in board design and production during the 1950s and 1960s.